Pulford leaving Blackhawks for new role with Wirtz Corp.

This would have been bigger news a few years ago.

After 30 years of helping run the Blackhawks in one capacity or another, Bob Pulford was re-assigned Thursday to the position of vice president within the Wirtz Corporation.

The move came less than a week after Rocky Wirtz replaced his late father Bill as Hawks chairman and signaled that perhaps the club is about to be run in a different way. His younger brother, Peter Wirtz, left the Hawks organization last week to focus his energies on the Wirtz Corporation.

"Time will tell, but it seems to me we have a change in attitude and direction," said general manager Dale Tallon.

The 71-year-old Pulford was the Hawks' senior vice president, serving mainly as an advisor since 2005. However, as recently as two years ago, Pulford told a reporter he was still in charge of all hockey related decisions.

Tallon was named general manager in 2005, but the perception since then was that Pulford still made all the critical decisions in tandem with Bill Wirtz, particularly when it came to spending money - or not spending it.

Neither Rocky Wirtz nor Pulford were made available by the Hawks for comment. Wirtz has not spoken to the hockey media since assuming control of the club a week ago.

"The perception was still there that he (Pulford) was right in the middle of everything," said a Hawks source. "He was and he wasn't, but now that perception is gone."

Pulford enjoyed a strong relationship with Bill Wirtz, which partly explained his long tenure with the club. When Wirtz died of cancer last month, Pulford said it felt as if he had lost a brother.

Pulford was hired by Wirtz in 1977 as GM and coach. He was general manager until 1990, when he reluctantly turned the job over to Mike Keenan to become senior vice president.

Pulford resumed his GM duties in 1992 after Keenan was fired and later took two more turns in the GM chair after the firings of Bob Murray and Mike Smith, the last ending in 2005.

Pulford was Hawks coach on three separate occasions, with his longest stint being from 1984-87. Those were excellent Hawks teams, but Pulford couldn't get them past Wayne Gretzky and the Edmonton Oilers and into the Finals.

Under Pulford's reign, the Hawks won eight division titles and made the playoffs 20 years straight starting in 1977.

But the Hawks never won a Stanley Cup under Pulford, who took the brunt of the criticism for that with Wirtz and for the trading of Jeremy Roenick in 1996 and Ed Belfour in 1997 because of contract problems.

"This is not going to change anything I've been doing," said Tallon, who dismissed suggestions that he might be named president or vice president of the club next. Tallon said he appreciated all the help Pulford provided him.

"He made it easy for me." Tallon said. "I came in with no experience as a general manager and he helped me and made me feel comfortable."

Tallon was asked if what has happened in the last week, with Rocky Wirtz taking over the team and Pulford being re-assigned, could be viewed as positive steps for the club.

"They've got to be," Tallon said. "We've got to get out from where we're at."

As vice president of Wirtz Corporation, Pulford will serve as the Hawks' liaison on NHL matters and attend Board of Governors meetings as an alternate governor.

The Hawks, according to a club statement, will rely on Pulford "to deal with the business of hockey from the league standpoint."

According to the team, Pulford will move out of his office at the United Center to a new one at the Wirtz Corporation headquarters on north Lake Shore Drive.